The Talk
by maybeweare
Summary: Regina asks Emma to have the sex talk with Henry, and has to reveal the reason she won't do it herself. Regina realizes that Emma is the only person she would trust with her secret, and Emma decides that she loves Regina enough to do something about it. (Sorry that's so cryptic.)
1. Chapter 1

Regina wasn't usually one for knocking, so Emma was surprised to see her lingering by the door rather than striding into the sheriff's office with her usual boldness. The blonde looked back down at the police report she was writing. "What?"

Regina crossed the room and sat in the chair on the other side of Emma's desk. "I need your help," she said after a long silence.

"With?"

"With Henry." Emma looked up to see Regina looking down at her lap, where she was picking at the edge of a red-painted fingernail nervously.

Emma put down her pen, studying Regina's sudden shyness. "Why?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

Regina looked up, her eyes meeting Emma's. "Nothing's wrong. I just need you to have a talk with him."

"Is this some sort of good cop/bad cop thing? What did he do?"

"I said nothing's wrong," Regina snapped.

"How does this work exactly? Do I get to be the good cop? I'm good at bad cop but you've got that whole evil queen thing going on."

For the first time that day, Regina looked like herself again. She stood up and slammed her hands down on the desk, glaring down at Emma. "Stop," she said loudly, and then looked around to make sure they were alone. The office and cell were empty, but she still lowered her voice. "He starts health class next week." She sat down again and pulled a folder from her briefcase. Emma flipped through the pamphlets on puberty and STDs before responding.

"You want me to have the sex talk with him?" she asked.

Regina closed the folder almost before Emma could get her hands out of the way, but left it on the desk. "Parents are supposed to go over some of this stuff with their children before class starts."

Emma nodded. "Yeah, sure."

Regina half smiled, sitting back in her chair and crossing her legs. "But please, use some sort of discretion. I don't want you teaching my son to be…" She glanced down to the V of Emma's shirt, which was unbuttoned low across her chest. "Promiscuous."

Emma stared at Regina for a moment while she fumbled to button her shirt higher. "What the hell is this? You think I'm better equipped to talk to Henry because I'm a slut?" Regina sat there in stunned silence until Emma resumed yelling. "You know nothing about me, Regina. Just because you're some sort of frigid prude doesn't mean that I am a bad person. Or a bad mother."

Regina did not retaliate the way Emma expected. She looked down at her lap again, and said nothing until Emma was quiet. "I didn't mean that."

"The hell you didn't."

Regina took a deep breath and raised her eyes to Emma's again. "I'm on edge because I don't like talking about this. Which is why I'm asking you for help." She reached up to tuck her hair back behind her ear. "I'm hoping that your experience will be helpful to Henry."

"My experience?" Emma stared Regina down. "And what about yours?"

"You had Henry."

"So I'm some cautionary tale?"

Regina was quiet for a moment. She lowered her voice to almost a whisper when she finally spoke, tears rising to her eyes. "So you've had sex."

Emma was ready to begin fighting again, but the words and the look on Regina's face stopped her. "You haven't."

Regina stood up abruptly and, after looking at Emma for one long moment, hurried out of the police station, leaving her briefcase and folder behind.

* * *

Regina was alone when the doorbell rang that night. She had arranged for Henry to have dinner with his grandparents, too emotional to face him or anyone else. She very reluctantly opened the door to see Emma on the porch, holding her briefcase.

"Hi," the blonde said gently. "You left this. And I thought I'd get that chat with Henry out of the way."

Regina stepped back to let Emma come in and set the briefcase down. "Henry's not here." Emma nodded and turned for the door, but Regina found herself blurting out, "Please don't tell anyone."

Emma looked at Regina with her eyes reddened from crying and her nail polish almost entirely peeled off. She'd never seen her emotional like this. She shut the door instead of leaving, and, not daring to attempt to hug the mayor, took her hand and led her towards the living room couch. "Should I practice my sex talk on you?" she joked, not letting go.

Regina shook her head. "It's not that I don't know about it."

Emma smiled gently and released Regina's hand. "You just walk around town like you're so powerful. I don't know how it's possible. You make everyone want you."

"Not using my sexuality lets me stay in control," Regina replied. "If I give myself away I'm just any other woman."

"I find that hard to believe."

"It's true." Regina began to pick at her nails again, nerves nearly getting the better of her. "With Graham, I made him want me. I made him mine. I'd touch him but he knew he could never reciprocate. And then he fell in love with you."

"Because I put out?" Emma said with a laugh.

Regina allowed herself to smile. "Because you could be his just like he was yours. I've only felt like that about one person."

"Daniel?"

The mayor nodded. "We were waiting until we were married, but that never happened. I thought I could bring him back to life somehow, so I kept waiting. Now I know I'll never get him back."

Emma moved closer, tentatively embracing Regina. "Losing Daniel doesn't mean you'll always be alone."

Regina sank into the embrace. "But everyone hates me."

Emma pulled Regina closer now that the mayor seemed comfortable with her. "You piss me off like no person ever has, but I don't hate you."

Regina looked up, and their eyes met for a long moment before Regina kissed Emma. When she'd gone to the police station that morning, she'd expected Emma to laugh at her secret. Now she'd come to realize that the blonde was the only person in Storybrooke she trusted, despite their conflicts. "I love you," she whispered, not realizing that she'd said the words aloud until Emma echoed them.

"I love you."

"I was always so afraid you'd take Henry from me," she said. "But it's been two years and you've only protected him. And me. I trust you."

"I imagine that was harder to say than 'I love you,'" Emma laughed. Regina smiled and, intertwining her fingers with Emma's, stood up. The blonde didn't budge. "We're not doing this right now."

Regina tried not to look disappointed at the rejection, and Emma quickly stood up beside her, taking her other hand as well.

"It'll happen," she reassured her. "Just not tonight." She kissed Regina when the brunette didn't look convinced. "When you're ready."

Regina slipped her arms around Emma's waist and dropped her head to the blonde's shoulder. "Do you have to leave?"

"It's supposed to be your night with Henry. I have nowhere to be."

They returned to the couch, nestling together. Regina put on the TV, but neither woman paid attention. Regina just closed her eyes, enjoying having someone to hold her again.

"Now I know why you're always such an uptight bitch," Emma said. Now that the tension was gone, now that they were relaxed, Regina allowed herself to laugh. "Did you ever think maybe it was a, you know, not being attracted to guys thing?" she added seriously.

"Never." Regina stared at the screen without really seeing what was going on. "Until the day you turned up."

They could hear the front door open and then slam shut. Regina sat up, distancing herself from Emma by the time Henry came into the room. He glanced back and forth between the two women on the couch. "What's Emma doing here?"

"I wanted to have a chat with you." Emma stood up, giving Henry an awkward smile. "Let's go upstairs."

"What are we talking about?"

Emma shrugged. "Operation… Penguin."

Regina couldn't help laughing. "Penguin?"

"Well, they do mate for life." Emma flashed Regina a smile before following Henry to his room.

* * *

It was past midnight when an exhausted Emma finally told Henry that he had to stop asking questions and go to sleep. She headed downstairs to find Regina asleep on the couch, and tucked a throw around her before leaving the house. She checked her phone to find only one alert, a text from Regina sent shortly after Emma and Henry went upstairs.

_You know, swans also mate for life._

Emma got into the car, smiling at her phone. She responded, hoping Regina's phone wouldn't wake her.

_Operation Penguin complete. Operation Swan commencing._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm so glad everyone's enjoying this so much! I'm having a lot of fun writing it. This chapter is a little short, but there will be more soon.**

**For purposes of this story, Henry doesn't know anything about his father. Emma never told him the lie about the firefighter and they obviously never went in search of Neal.**

* * *

"Your little operation is not complete," Regina said as she slid into the chair across from Emma's desk. "Henry won't stop asking me things."

"I'm not the one who raised him to be so curious about everything." Emma turned in her chair to face her visitor.

"I'm having him write them down for you. Mostly it's complicated scientific stuff, nothing you can actually help with."

"Thanks for setting me up for failure, then," Emma replied sarcastically, unable to help smiling at the other woman.

"I brought lunch to apologize." Regina picked up the bag she'd brought in with her and took out two sandwiches and two bottles of water.

Emma unwrapped her sandwich gratefully, watching as Regina put the bag back down. "Thanks, but it's not a very good apology if there's no dessert."

"Of course there's dessert." Regina set the back down again and got started on her own sandwich. "I've just been raising your offspring long enough to know that I need to keep it hidden until everything else is done."

"Oh, please, don't put this on me." Emma grinned widely. "You made it pretty clear yesterday that you've been withholding dessert for a long time."

Regina nearly choked at that, and Emma uncapped one of the water bottles and offered it to the brunette. "Emma!" she scolded belatedly.

"Too soon?" Emma looked genuinely concerned that she'd hurt Regina's feelings, but the mayor's expression was more annoyed than injured. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." Regina paused before taking her next bite. "But if I don't like it, I'm going to sit here and eat all your cookies while you watch."

Emma gasped in fake shock before studying Regina's face seriously. "I'm just curious. You were married to a man a lot older than you, and I'm pretty sure middle-aged guys only marry eighteen-year-olds for one reason. How'd you manage not to sleep with him?"

"Oh, that wasn't my doing. That was all him." Regina pulled out a container of cookies, rolling her eyes when Emma put her sandwich down to reach for them instead. "He couldn't get it up."

Emma just stared at her for a second before she burst out laughing. "What?"

"He'd been having problems for a long time. I guess he thought having someone pretty and young would fix things. And when it didn't, he got to parade me around without anyone knowing, and I had the power of knowing his big secret." When Emma laughed again, Regina joined in.

"Well, if you didn't do it for him, I don't know what would." Emma sat back and savored her cookie – oatmeal chocolate chip, her favorite.

Regina blushed, something Emma had never seen her do before. The sheriff leaned over the desk and kissed her cheek. Regina raised a hand to stroke one of Emma's curls behind her ear, keeping her there so she could turn slightly and meet her lips.

* * *

Emma was treated to Regina's blush again that evening. The brunette sat alone in an armchair, reading—or pretending to—while Emma and Henry talked on the couch.

"So, how old were you?" Henry asked, suddenly looking up from his own book. Emma met his eyes over the diagrams of the reproductive system that she'd been trying and failing to explain.

Now it was Emma's turn to blush, feeling Regina's dark eyes on her. "I'm vetoing that question."

"You can't do that." Henry closed the book, looking at her seriously.

"I can do whatever I want." Still, Emma met his gaze, knowing that she had to be honest with him. "I've made a lot of mistakes," she admitted. "You're a lot smarter than I ever was, but when it comes to relationships and sex things get really complicated, even for smart kids."

Regina could see that Emma was struggling, so she set her book down and joined them on the couch, sitting on the other side of Henry. "The important thing is that you wait until you find someone you love and trust."

Emma gave Regina a grateful smile. "That's right. It doesn't matter how old I was, Henry. What matters is that I didn't have that love and trust. That's why I say it was a mistake."

"What about with my father?" Henry asked.

Emma looked pained, and Regina jumped in again. "Henry, it's getting late. You need to shower and go to bed."

He got up reluctantly and gave each mother a hug before heading upstairs. They sat quietly for a moment, not looking at each other.

"You're doing a great job, you know," Regina said, reaching out to place her hand over Emma's in the blonde's lap. "You're a better mother than you think you are."

Emma finally met Regina's eyes again, smiling. "Thank you."

"He can be a little relentless," Regina added with a sigh. "When he was little it was dinosaurs, then Ancient Egypt, then birds…" She trailed off, not able to remember the full catalogue of Henry's obsessions. "Why do you think I had to close the library?"

Emma raised her eyebrows skeptically. "You closed the library because of Henry."

"That was a joke."

"You joke now?" Emma closed the space between them, putting an arm around Regina's waist.

Regina smiled to herself. "Maybe I do."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm very sorry about being such a tease. I keep trying to nudge Emma and Regina towards sex, but they have so many feelings. This is a super-short chapter and then hopefully they will start cooperating.  
**

* * *

Emma couldn't help it; when Regina opened the door, her heart started racing like she was Henry's age and going to visit a crush. "Hi," she said, suddenly feeling almost sheepish. "You didn't come by the station today, so I figured I'd make sure you're still alive."

Regina let her in and closed the door. "Sorry about that. Meetings all day." She stepped closer to Emma, wrapping her arms around the blonde's waist. "I meant to call you."

"You don't have to call. You're not required to stop by."

"About tonight, I mean," Regina said, meeting Emma's eyes, her face flushing. "Henry's sleeping over at a friend's house."

Emma kissed her gently, lingering against Regina's lips for a moment more. "So you were looking for a sleepover of your own?"

"Maybe." There was a confidence in Regina's eyes, despite her obvious nerves, and Emma nodded.

"Okay."

Regina tried to pull back from the embrace, to head for the stairs, but Emma held her in place for another, deeper kiss. This was still within Regina's realm of expertise, and the mayor held her own, tasting Emma's mouth thoroughly before pulling back with a breathless smile. "Come on," she said softly, and this time Emma let her withdraw. They made their way up the stairs, Regina periodically glancing back to make sure the blonde was still with her.

"I was fourteen," Emma said suddenly, and Regina paused on the top step and looked down at her. "In response to Henry's question last night."

Regina tilted her head just slightly to the side, studying the blonde. "I thought you didn't want to answer that question."

"You've trusted me with so many secrets. I need—I want—to do the same for you."

Regina glanced down the hall towards her bedroom before deciding that she'd be too nervous and distracted to continue the conversation once they made it that far. She sat down on the top step instead, smoothing her skirt out beneath her. Emma followed her lead, sitting just a step below.

"It was with some guy from school at a party. It was pretty stupid and pretty terrible." She met Regina's gaze directly, a little uncomfortable but not ashamed.

"I was still such a child at fourteen," Regina said. "I can't imagine."

Emma gave Regina a lopsided smile, thinking of how little time she'd had to be a child herself. "I wasn't all that much older when I had Henry."

"I guess not."

Emma laughed, looking back down the stairs. "I'm really killing the mood, aren't I?"

"We can just talk for a bit," Regina offered. "I'm in no hurry. But let's go somewhere more comfortable."

She meant to suggest they go back downstairs, but Emma was the first on her feet and continued on to Regina's room. The brunette followed, pausing by the door and just looking at Emma sitting on the edge of her bed. Emma patted the space beside her, and Regina sat with a small smile, gratefully when the blonde put an arm tight around her waist.

"I don't know what to tell Henry about his father," Emma said once her hold on Regina was secure.

"Do you know who his father is?" Regina asked, flinching at her own words the moment she said them. "Not that I think, you know…"

"No offense taken," Emma said quickly. "At other points in my life that might have been the case, but I know exactly who Henry's father is. He's just not a good guy."

"You had him in jail and I'm the evil queen," Regina pointed out. "What's one more no-good parent?"

Emma smiled, leaning her head against Regina's shoulder. "Well, with any luck Henry will never have to meet him."

Regina found Emma's free hand in her lap and held it gently. "He broke your heart."

Emma sighed, slipping even closer to Regina. "He did. He left me."

Regina closed her eyes, forgetting for a moment that they were sitting on her bed, just focusing on Emma. "I'm not going to leave," she said, and when she opened her eyes again Emma was sitting up straight and waiting to meet them.

"I know."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Not sure how much longer this is going to be... at least another chapter.**

* * *

"Why are we going to my mom's?" Henry asked as he got in the passenger seat of the Bug. "Isn't it supposed to be your night?"

Emma smiled to herself as she started the car. "I thought maybe we could all have dinner together. Like a family." She glanced at Henry, surprised to see him smirking. "What?"

"Are you guys dating or something?" he asked, and Emma went red. "I'm not blind, you know."

Emma leaned her head back against the seat. "I don't know, kid. Something like that. Is this going to scar you for life or something?"

"I'm pretty sure I can handle it." She was surprised to see him grinning at her. "I think I should stay here and just you should go."

Emma lifted her head to look at him again, cringing inwardly at his still conflicted attitude towards his adoptive mother. "She really likes to see you, Henry."

"She'll see me tomorrow," he said cheerily with the smile he used for scheming, and Emma realized that he wasn't trying to avoid Regina at all. "You can have some alone time."

As much as Emma had been looking forward to seeing Regina's face when she opened the door to see her son unexpectedly waiting there, she couldn't help liking this plan. She hadn't seen Regina in a few days, and after talking for hours on the night of the sleepover, they had only slept together in the literal sense. "Does she like flowers or whatever?" she asked Henry suddenly.

"She likes _you_." Henry opened the door and began to get out of the car, but Emma caught his arm.

"Thanks, kid."

* * *

It took Emma an hour to make it the few blocks to Regina's house. The first time, she looped back almost immediately and ran into the apartment to change, trying to avoid Henry's smirk when she went out again in the one dress she had in her closet and heels. At least he couldn't see what was underneath, she thought gratefully. That time she drove past Regina's house and turned around, heading back towards the flower shop. She was pretty sure that she inspected every flower in the place, totally at a loss as to what to get, and she finally went back to the car empty-handed, feeling silly for even trying. She was back after another short drive, and after a little more consideration purchased just one rose. This time she drove straight to Mifflin Street and parked, allowing herself a few minutes to shake off her ridiculous nerves.

She had just about convinced herself to go home and change back into jeans when the door opened and she saw Regina step out onto the porch, looking towards the car. The sight of her smile was enough to ease Emma's mind, and she grabbed the rose and stepped out of the car.

"What's the occasion?" Regina asked as Emma made the seemingly impossibly long walk from the curb. The brunette looked Emma up and down, taking in the short black dress.

"The occasion is Henry knows there's something going on between us and he thought we should have some alone time." Emma blushed, holding out the flower. "And I want it to be special."

Regina took the rose and kissed Emma before leading the way back inside. "So," she said with a nervous smile. "Tonight?"

"How's right now?" Emma pulled Regina into another kiss.

"I like the sound of that." Regina sounded almost meek, something Emma had never heard from her. She set the rose down on a table in the entryway and they made the trip up the stairs again, this time without hesitation. "I love your dress," she said, enjoying the view as she followed Emma down the hall.

"I'll have to wear it when I take you on a date or something," Emma replied, turning around to face the brunette once they were in the bedroom and putting her hands on Regina's hips. "I figure we'll eventually get to dating, seeing as we're going about this all backwards. This…" She paused, forehead wrinkling as she thought in a way that Regina found adorable. "Whatever this is we're doing."

"Relationship?" Regina offered. She brought her hands to either side of Emma's face and pulled her in for a kiss. "And don't worry about it. I've never actually had a traditional relationship."

"Me neither." Emma walked them closer to the bed, lips and tongue meeting Regina's as she untucked the brunette's blouse from her skirt and began undoing the buttons. "Regardless, I'll wear it again for you on a night when it's not going to end up on the floor immediately."

"What's the fun in that?" Regina grinned, feeling her usual confidence return. There was nothing to be nervous about, she reminded herself. She'd wanted this since the day Emma turned up at her door the first time, even though she hadn't been able to admit her feelings to herself for a year.

"The fun," Emma replied as she slipped the unbuttoned shirt over Regina's shoulders and let it fall to the ground, "is in the anticipation. Something you know way too much about."

Before the blonde could step back to appreciate Regina's revealed skin, the brunette was pressed up against her so that she could reach around to the zipper of the dress. "Don't keep me waiting, then," she whispered beside Emma's ear, sending a shiver down Emma's spine.

Emma reluctantly peeled herself away to step out of the dress and Regina unfastened her own skirt. The blonde took a good look at Regina's lightly tanned skin in minimal black lace, color rising her to her own cheeks as Regina took in the matching red bra and thong Emma had thrown on at the last moment. "God," Emma breathed before climbing onto the bed and moving to the far side to make room for Regina.

"You can just call me Regina," the brunette teased with a smirk.

Emma grinned back, pulling Regina down on top of her. "There's the sass I fell in love with."

Regina kissed her deeply, sinking her body down onto Emma's and gasping against her lips at the feel of the blonde's skin. Emma ran her hands down Regina's back and up again, pausing at the clasp of her bra. "So you're in love with me, huh?" she whispered as Emma rolled them over and pulled the garment out of the way.

"You get under my skin for a reason." Emma gave Regina a feathery kiss on the lips before moving her mouth down the brunette's neck.

Regina tilted her head back into the pillow, making soft sounds of approval every time Emma kissed a new place. Emma's hands were everywhere at once, and Regina let her eyes flutter closed, the sensations almost too much to bear. For the first time in decades, she was totally powerless and totally out of control, and she was surprised to find that she liked the feeling.

She opened her eyes again when she felt Emma's hands at her hips, shifting to help the blonde finish undressing her. "Emma," she whispered.

Emma slid back up her naked body and kissed her softly. "Regina," she replied, ducking her head to nuzzle against Regina's neck.

Regina brought one hand up to Emma's hair, holding her in place and reveling in the sweetness of the moment. And then she felt Emma's touch low on her stomach and all thoughts of sweet were forgotten as her need flared up again. "Please, Emma."

Emma stayed where she was, placing a kiss on Regina's shoulder, as she walked her fingers lower and brushed them lightly through Regina's wetness. The brunette cried out, gripping her harder. Even the slightest touch had her head reeling. Emma flicked her fingers back and forth lazily, and Regina brought her free arm up around the blonde's shoulder and dug her nails in. Emma nipped at Regina's neck in response and Regina let out a throaty, wordless cry as the slight stimulation pushed her over the edge.

"And that," Emma said, "is what you've been missing all these years."

Regina just looked at her, catching her breath. Emma disentangled herself from Regina's arms and moved back so that she could see the brunette's reaction as she slipped a finger into her, then two. She moved them slowly, gently, and watched the wonder on Regina's face for a moment before leaning down for a first taste of the mayor. She moved her tongue in time with her fingers, quickening her pace, and while she couldn't watch Regina's expression she could tell from the bucking of her hips that she was enjoying this. It didn't take long before Regina came again, and Emma grinned against her at the way her name slipped from the brunette's lips.


	5. Chapter 5

Regina toyed with Emma's red bra strap, enjoying the sharp contrast with the blonde's pale skin. She trailed a finger inwards, up and over the curve of Emma's breast, smiling. "You should wear this again, too," she said. "When we go out and you wear that dress."

"I have plenty of lingerie options, never fear." Emma kissed her sweetly and briefly before sitting up with a groan. "I guess I should get home to the kid now."

Regina pouted but glanced at the clock and saw that it was nearing their son's bedtime. "Can't you get your mother to watch him? I want you to stay."

"Would you care to explain to my mother why exactly I'm tied up right now?" Emma got up and retrieved her dress, Regina rolling over to watch her.

"Now that's an idea," Regina teased. "The tying up, I mean."

"I know what you mean." Once dressed, Emma leaned down for another kiss. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

"You should bring him back here." Regina sat up, holding the sheet modestly to her chest as if it was anything Emma hadn't seen.

The blonde couldn't help grinning at the endearing gesture. "I'll be right back."

* * *

"So," Henry said as Emma, who had changed into her usual jeans, threw her overnight bag and his backpack into the back seat and got into the car. "How was the date?"

"It wasn't really a date, but it was nice." Emma was glad it was dark enough that he couldn't see how much she was smiling. "Did you get all your homework done?"

"Yes." Henry turned in his seat to face his mother, watching her whenever a streetlight briefly illuminated the car. "What did you guys do?"

Emma gave him a sideways glance. "Kid, one of these days you're going to learn that some things are secrets."

"You never tell me anything." He shifted back into his seat, looking out the window as they pulled up outside the mayor's mansion.

"I'm not going to tell you about your mom and me. That's private." Emma parked and turned off the car, unbuckling her seatbelt so she could face him completely with one leg tucked up under her. "But I really appreciate you sending me over here tonight." She smiled slightly as he looked in her direction again. "So ask me something else and I will tell you."

Henry didn't hesitate. "My dad. Who is he?"

Emma took a deep breath and met Henry's eyes. "His name is Neal. He wasn't a great guy or anything, but I loved him very much." She reached to the back seat and grabbed their bags, setting Henry's backpack in his lap. "And no, I don't know where he is now. I did try to find him for years, but he's wanted for a pretty major theft, so he's got to be using another name."

Henry nodded slowly, taking it all in. Emma waited for his reaction, for the inevitable follow-up questions, but he just turned to her with a small smile and thanked her.

They went inside, Emma following Henry back towards the kitchen where a pajama-clad Regina was putting swirls of whipped cream on two mugs of hot chocolate. Emma couldn't help blushing at the sight of her.

The brunette sprinkled cinnamon on both, handing one to Henry and one to Emma, before picking up a third mug of unadorned cocoa. "You don't like whipped cream?" Emma asked, glad for a distraction from her somewhat tense discussion with Henry.

Regina took a sip of hers, watching Emma over the rim of the mug. "I see no reason to ruin perfectly good chocolate."

Emma shot a wink at Henry, glad to see his usual toothy grin. She took a little cream on her finger and dabbed it on Regina's nose. Henry looked shocked when Regina only laughed and wiped it off, licking the excess from her finger. "This is really weird," he said. "This whole flirting thing."

"Get used to it, kid." Emma resisted the urge to play around further, instead leaning in to give the brunette a chaste kiss. Still, Henry turned to leave the kitchen.

"Gross," he called over his shoulder, and although Regina badly wanted to remind him that he was under no circumstances allowed to take that hot chocolate up to his room, Emma's arms around her waist were a welcome distraction.

The two women stood there for a minute, Regina carefully setting her mug on the counter before returning the embrace. Emma sank into her, closing her eyes. "I told him about Neal," she said.

"Are you okay?" Regina tightened her hold. "Is Henry?"

"He's up there concocting questions, I'm sure." Emma pulled back just enough for Regina to see her smile. "And as of today I think I have officially moved on." She brought a hand between them, closing it around the swan necklace she always wore and giving it a sharp tug so that it came loose.

"Don't get rid of that," Regina said, taking the pendant from the blonde. "I always liked it."

Emma only responded with a slight smile, reaching up to Regina's neck and unclasping the bare chain that the brunette had continued to wear even after she'd traded away Daniel's ring. Regina took the swan off its string and held it up for Emma to thread the chain through, leaning in for a kiss as the blonde clasped it back on. "Perfect," she whispered, taking a step back to see Regina in the combined necklace.

"Now everyone will know I'm yours," Regina replied, stepping back into the embrace and bringing her lips to Emma's for a slow, lingering kiss.

"That's the idea." Emma rested her forehead against Regina's, splaying her hands on the brunette's back to urge her even closer. "You know, I'd really like to see you wearing that necklace and nothing else."

"That can be arranged," Regina replied before tilting her head to find Emma's lips again. Emma could feel her smiling.

* * *

**The End**

**Thanks for reading and for all the great feedback!**


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